Medical messenger - is an application that allows you to securely and conveniently exchange text and/or voice messages and files on the doctor-patient line.

The main function of medical instant messengers is chat, which is why it reminds us of familiar and intuitive applications for contact such as Whatsapp, Messenger or Telegram (You can read about why it is worth using a medical messenger instead of a commercial one here).

It is worth emphasizing that just as in WhatsApp we write only with people we know, so the medical messenger is also used exclusively to contact a patient whom the doctor already knows from inpatient visits. The medical communicator is therefore not a receptomate (You can read about the exact differences here), a commonly understood teleport in a chat with an unknown patient or chat after an appointment.

In the last article prepared jointly with Dr. n. Ms. Antonina Doroszewska, we looked at the benefits for doctors and patients that result from the use of a medical communicator in medical care.

And today we will present the most popular instant messengers present on the market, both internationally and in Poland.

BeterdichtBij (Netherlands, Belgium)¹

BeterDichtClose it the most popular medical communicator in the western part of Europe, which is used today by more than 50 hospitals, 25,000 doctors and 750,000 patients. Like most medical instant messengers, the BeterDichtBij app is used for a hybrid doctor-patient contact (extending appointments with permanent remote contact). The application is used by doctors of specialties such as cardiology, dermatology, diabetology, gynecology, pediatrics, pulmonology, neurology, oncology, rheumatology and urology. In addition, BeterdichtBIJ is used by medical surgeons as the main channel of contact with the patient before and after surgery and by rehabilitators to coordinate the rehabilitation of the patient. recently The solution has been extended to include a chat function between doctors, so as to further facilitate the flow of information between medics.

‍Celo Health (New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, United States)²

Celo Health is a doctor-created secure medical communicator that replaces commercial tools (such as Whatsapp or Messenger) and is primarily used for contact within care teams or between doctors. This app has features that allow doctors to take care of their availability and privacy with hidden phone number and availability statuses (Online, Do Not Disturb). Additionally Compliant with US HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Liability Act) and the European GDPR Regulation (General Data Protection Regulation or Personal Data Protection Regulation). Recently Doctors can also use the so-called external chat, i.e. sending SMS messages to patients.

‍Spruce (United States)³

Spruce Health to one of the most extensive applications facilitating remote contact with patients also managed in an inpatient setting. At Spruce Health, a doctor can not only continue and coordinate patient care in a simple chat, but also consult patients with other doctors on their team, talk to patients by phone or videoconference, conduct medical history before the next visit, schedule appointments and billing, and even automate tasks (e.g. schedule group mailing of vacation messages to all patients under their care). The solution is HIPAA compliant and is used today primarily by general practitioners and psychiatrists.

‍Mediquo (Spain, Portugal)⁴

Mediquo to Spanish secure medical instant messenger with additional features to manage your doctor's office. Thanks to this, the tool is designed for both doctors and small offices and clinics. Replacing Whatsapp, SMS or Messenger with Mediquo messenger doctor can be in touch with their patients without sharing a private phone number and without the need to immediately respond to messages thanks to statuses (online/offline). In addition, it can also manage its calendar and appointments, billing, prescriptions and dismissals. Today the app is used by one million users (doctors and patients) and in 2022 Mediquo was the most downloaded medical app in Spain.

‍Doctor.One (Poland)⁵

Doctor.One to the first Polish secure medical communicator, founded in 2022, which today is used by more than 2600 doctors of as many as 30 specializations. The application is the first legally, financially and temporally regulated tool for remote contact between doctor and patient and replaces informal channels such as Whatsapp, Messenger or SMS. Doctor.One messenger restores privacy, subjectivity and control to the doctor with features such as hidden private phone number, joining patients only at the doctor's invitation, and setting the availability time to reply to messages. In addition, the doctor is equipped with the basic functions of the doctor's office available directly in the chat with the patient, e.g. issuing diagnoses, prescriptions and taking notes (visible to the doctor and/or patient). A distinctive feature of the messenger is a subscription for contacting a doctor. This means that the application is not only free for doctors, but also becomes an additional source of income.

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